HCSS HeavyBid Estimating Software

HCSS HeavyBid estimating and bidding software is built specifically for the construction industry. Used by more than 50,000 estimators, HeavyBid helps users build estimates and manage daily bids.

The software helps automate repetitive tasks based on tracking data from multiple sources; such as past estimates, standardized libraries, historical costs, performance data, and integrated RSMeans. Users can build, review and edit estimates quickly, and automatically run price calculations to identify errors. With HeavyBid, users can break down complex work into more manageable pieces, and organize estimates to fit the organization’s needs. Users can also analyze subcontractor and supplier quotes.

HeavyBid is suitable for construction companies of all sizes in transportation, utility, power, oil and gas, and heavy civil industries HCSS also offers 24/7 instant customer service via phone and email.

HCSS Heavy Bid - Top of the Line Bidding Software

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HCSS Heavy Bid has numerous essential features that other bidding software just do not have. They improve the ease of use and efficiency of almost every part of the process. They also allow for easy integration into their HCSS Heavy Job software, if you win the bid. After having used multiple bidding software, this one stands out as the best.

Pros

- Ease of use for adding custom items and making changes after the fact
- Well laid out and easy to navigate menus
- Ability to have multiple tabs open

Very robust and capable group of software

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We use Heavy Bid, Heavy Job, Trux, and Dispatcher. The correct use of these 4 programs is very powerful. The capabilities for analysis, control, and general resources management is made easy and centralized. It definitely is a little uphill to correctly setup all programs and you start using them right (Training needed), but once they were up and running the return was without precedent.

Pros

Very Robust, very complete, very good communication between programs.

Advice to Others

It is somehow overwhelming at first sight because of all the options and things you can do. But once you pass that stage it is all good.

Aaron from The Beaver Excavating Company
Specialty: Earthwork/excavating
Number of employees: 201-500 employeesEmployees number: 201-500 employees

January 2017

January 2017

Construction Bidding Software

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Great software to bid construction projects. Gives you the ability to have multiple items, activities, and crews.
Many ways to present your bid and adjust costs. Very valuable tool for our project management and estimating staff.

Heavybid - Construction company

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I have used heavybid for more than 2 years. I used it for estimating for about 1.5 years and have used it to understand and keep track of cost codes for 6 months. For estimating I think it is a great tool that will help you accomplish about anything that you can think of. Adding labor, equipment, creating master estimates, copying bid items or replacing them, etc. Integration with a heavy job is smooth and it becomes a great tool for project management to create change orders and look at resources estimated.

Pros

A number of features that are so helpful to estimate and record estimating process. Being able to attach documents to estimates as well as notes.

The BEST Estimating Software

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I have been a HeavyBid Advanced user for over 14 years now and its amazing to see how far this small company from Texas has come. I still remember when we ordered the software and a representative from the company came to our main office in CT and over the course of 2 days went over everything from setting up labor, benefits, burden, equipment, crews, bid items (manual entry and DOT import), etc. to showing us how to enter activities into bid items and actually creating an estimate. Such a great overall experience from the early stages of implementation to the countless support center calls at all hours of the day and night before a bid (which were always answered) up to the present day where all of the above is still true today.

Pros

Unmatched customer support, ease of use and the ecosystem of programs/applications on multiple platforms that integrate perfectly with each other and will only grow with your company.

Cons

Recently I purchased an iPad Pro 12.9" pretty much for the sole purpose of using a handfull of apps such as Projectwise, Bluebeam Revu and HeavyBid Mobile. Well, after emailing HCSS Support I find out that HeavyBid Mobile is no longer supported. I was looking forward to trying something different with HeavyBid on the go, even if it wasn't the full blown version.

Advice to Others

If you've been searching for an all inclusive estimating software then look no further. The amount of time you will save bidding on projects alone is worth the investment, not to mention the addition of mobile apps such as HeavyJob which ties into HeavyBid so you can export your entire estimate, crews, material, subs, etc into HeavyJob and use it as a complete job reporting application.

Heavy Bid is the best

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Likes Best

Heavy Bid is great not only does it provide you a tool to input cost, data, and vendor information but it seamlessly allows you to transition that information into Heavy Job once a project is awarded, saving time and hassle for the project startup. HCSS has been great with their customer service, any time we run into an issue their customer support is always there to assist.

Likes Least

I can't say much here maybe because in my experience I have yet to walk away with a negative feeling towards the product or vendor.

Recommendations

Try it and do a fair side by side assessment of whatever tools your company is currently utilizing with Heavy Bid, I think it will be hard to not choose this product as a result.

Mike from Beaver Excavating
Specialty: Earthwork/excavating

September 2016

September 2016

Great experience

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Likes Best

The versatility and capabilities that HCSS offers. Being able to utilize both Heavy Bid & Heavy Job make my day-to-day tasks easy. I'm able to extract the information easily and turn it our the our field quickly.

Likes Least

Haven't found anything I don't like about this product

Recommendations

Be open to trying this software, it can make your job easier

LUCAS from PG&E
Specialty: Utility contractor

September 2016

September 2016

Heavy Job-- one stop ship for tracking project costs

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Likes Best

I like having all project cost available to me through various reports, as well at HCSS willingness to listen and implement suggestions to improve the software

Likes Least

I have found inconsistencies in some of the data provided by various reports.

Recommendations

I have been very pleased with the suite of software programs HCSS offers particularly Heavy Job for tracking project costs.

Josh from The Beaver Excavating
Specialty: Earthwork/excavating

September 2016

September 2016

Great product for tracking time, materials, subs, costs!

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Likes Best

The ease of use for the tablet users like my foreman or superintendents. This product is a great way to track my crews time, costs of labor and equipment, materials deliveries, subcontractors costs, and progress of the project. With this product I can quickly review my job cost to date on a whole or by an activity level.
In addition there is always tech support available for any an all questions.

Likes Least

This product doesn't have many flaws. They have really worked hard on getting this system down for the construction industry. The only complaint I have is the integration between the office to cloud and cloud to tablet is sometimes sluggish.

Recommendations

There are some bugs in regards to the credentials website for use between the tablet and office software.

Must have in your estimating arsenal!

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Likes Best

Always pleased with HCSS updates to their program. I love that they don't sit around, they are always making their program the best it can be. They are second to none!

Likes Least

Not as easy for the new people to learn and understand.

Recommendations

Must have if you are bidding anything of size. Its worth paying the extra to get Heavybid Advanced! Lots of extras

Wes from CCESI
Specialty: Design/build firm

September 2016

September 2016

Probably the industry standard for construction estimating software

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Likes Best

HCSS offers very good 24 hour support. The program is very adaptable to all levels of construction estimating/bidding and can speak to most well known accounting software. Several levels of the software provide more or less detailed options, depending on your requirements

Likes Least

Extremely structured and difficult to set up database initially. Upkeep is fairly easy, if your initial setup was performed with some aforethought.

Recommendations

This should be one of the two or three estimating software that you review for purchase. Take some time to get into the database setup. It's going to take about 120 hours to put a good database together and consists of using an excel spreadsheet and a good amount of logic to set up the system. I've done it several times. I know now what to do.

A few months a year i go into our companie's estimating department, and this is a key tool.

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Pros

I like that as i am gathering information and bids from contractors/subcontractors, i can enter them in as soon as i get them and it is automatically stored like a cloud feature. i am also able to create my own plugs, etc. this program makes breaking down and keeping track of a bid a wiz.

Cons

the only complaint that i have about this software is that it isn't exactly user friendly it took me a decent amount of time to learn how to use and operate this software.

Source: Capterra

Derek from Tiger Construction, LTd.

August 2017

August 2017

Using project to estimate large heavy civil jobs 100 Million +. Multiple team members.

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Pros

Multiple team members can work on the project. Good databasing. Ease in transition to accounting software.

Cons

The biggest issue I have is that it is very slow on our platform. I'm not certain if this is an HCSS issue or an us issue.

Source: Capterra

Riccardo from SITE

August 2017

August 2017

Great program for bidding

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Pros

This is a great program for bidding minor and major projects, it does it with ease and is very easy to work with.

Cons

It cannot get too granular as some bidding softwares can get...as such, you may have to use subsequent excel sheets to keep track of bidding.

great software

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use it every day. dont know where i would be without it. even when the rare issue arises, support is always avaialbe and very professional. anyone looking to keep their estimating at top notch needs this program.

Cons

HeavyBid: the best estimating software on the market.

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Great product with even better support. This is the best software we use. We have been using this product for over 20 years. HCSS consults with its clients to improve the product. They also have an annual user group meeting that is one of the best educational events in construction to attend.

Pros

It is adaptable to use for any-kind of Construction Estimating.

Cons

Does not provide any take-off products.

Advice to Others

If you buy it, plan to spend time on development right up-front. Utilize HCSS's people to help with the implementation. This will save you many hours of overhead in the future.

Source: Capterra

Ernst from Bucotech Construction

December 2016

December 2016

Heavy construction transportation

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As a student in project management, that product help me to do better in the construction market. The estimating is an important part of the construction industry, with the "Capterra" that can bring new procedures in the heavy construction especially in transportation infrastructures. The software permit the contractor and subcontractor to work without difficulty. My experience with that software, I can, at this time, integer the construction market.

Source: Capterra

Nida from Pacific Gas & Electric

February 2016

February 2016

Construction estimating

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Pro: so informative with various features to apply to how your company estimates. I like the different options for reports and the ability to easily see how numbers are calculated.
Cons: still some glitches at times, and not so user friendly.

Source: Capterra

Claude from Weeks Marine Inc

February 2016

February 2016

New with the software

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The pass 2 days showed me the complexity of the software and in the same time the friendly user it could be.

Source: Capterra

Joshua from Michels Corp

February 2016

February 2016

SSomewhat new to this software

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Found the class I attended very helpfull and the instructors were very helpfull

Source: Capterra

Glauce from Bergeron Land Development

February 2016

February 2016

HEAVYBID NICE

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Heavybid is a nice software to work with. After you learn how to use you have so many features and opportunities to improve your bid.
The support from HCSS is awsome, they are always available and have knowledge to help.
The con that I see on Heavybid is that because it has so many features you can make mistakes if you do not know what you are doing.

Source: Capterra

Hugh from SMFI

February 2016

February 2016

eexcellent would recomended it

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User Friendly detailed and excllent intergration with other software used in construction Primavera etc.

Source: Capterra

Jay from New Enterprise Stone & LIme Co. Inc.

February 2016

February 2016

Very powerful and efficient.

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I've not used any other estimating software, but I don't anticipate needing to. The flexibility and ease of use on the fundamental bid functions are great. Great tool!
the only criticism (not sure if i would call it that) I find that the latest and greatest versions have so many advanced functions that aren't really applicable to my specific work area.

Source: Capterra

Greg from Summers-Taylor, Inc

February 2016

February 2016

powerful program

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wonderful how our whole team can work on the same estimate

Source: Capterra

greg from Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc

February 2016

February 2016

good tool

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easy to come back to releative to operations to estimating dept.

Source: Capterra

Buddy from Kelley Construction

February 2016

February 2016

kelly construction

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Used HB in past job. We were changing to new estimating system. HB was my only choice. The system can be as basic or detailed as you wish. Flexible . I do not believe I will ever out grow the system. Tech support is absolutely the best in the world 24 7 and always helpfull

Source: Capterra

peter from everest excavating

February 2016

February 2016

HeavyBid

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product is great for building estimates for our earthwork and site utility projects. It is a very powerful tool for bidding and tracking our projects, and does a great job with reporting and manipulation of cost impacts

Source: Capterra

Derek from Granite

February 2016

February 2016

Estimating persuits with Granite Construction

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Helps us submit accurate concise proposals to the owner. I having been using the software for 4 years and it becomes more user friendly each year.

Source: Capterra

Glenn from Boh Bros. Construction Co., L.L.C.

February 2016

February 2016

Estimated multiple projects ranging in value from $60k to $380M

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Very easy to use and customize. Production data is very visible and easy to tweak once activities are created.

Source: Capterra

Morgan from Weaver Bailey Contractors

February 2016

February 2016

Bidding Heavy Highway Project in Arkansas

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We have had success in establishing production rates to form more accurate bids and schedules to keep a project on track.